What's so bad about Supreme Court nominee, Harriet Miers? Liberal Democrats and activists from the Left are opposed to Miers because she may be against abortion, because she's a Bush crony, and she doesn't have the Left judicial experience. Conservative Republicans and activists from the Right are against Miers because she might turn liberal, because she's Bush's friend, and she doesn't have the Right judicial experience.

The Left think they are doing the Left thing. And the Right think they are doing the Right thing. They're both wrong. Under the circumstances, White House Counsel, Harriet Miers is probably the best choice for a justice of the Supreme Court because of her Left and Right experience, her character and integrity, being a trustworthy legal advisor to a governor and a president, and because of her lack of judicial contamination.

Our government's problems are the result of endless political battles that result in little more than more government. We did not make this enormous mess, yet it was allowed to happen by the consent of the governed. Maybe it's time to give our consent to only those committed to cleaning it up.

Daniel B. Jeffs, founder
DDC

Quit the political nit-picking
Published in U.S. News & World Report
November 7, 2005 issue

During former president, Bill Clinton's second term, he was assaulted with attack politics and nit-picked to such a degree that he was dangerously distracted from protecting America and our national interests against repeated acts of terrorism, which left us open to the 9/11 attacks.

Now, in President Bush's second term, he and his administration are being relentlessly nit-picked and attacked to such an extent that it has emboldened our terrorist enemies, exacerbated the war in Iraq, and it is making us more vulnerable than ever.

Adding cheap shots (disguised as serious allegations) at Bush's handling of the Katrina Hurricane disaster, at his right-hand-man, Karl Rove, and the Republican leaders in the Congress -- which were then hyped by nagging news media -- amounts to little more than self-serving hate-mongering by political gangs of small people.

Reasonable criticism is one thing. But if childish political revenge and the fierce battle over power in Washington (at any cost) isn't stopped, the American people will surely suffer the consequences. Politics has become an unconscionable, deadly business. It's time for reasonable people with common sense to exercise more democracy in the coming elections.

Daniel B. Jeffs, founder
DDC

NEWSWEEK
October 3, 2005 issue

Re: How Bush Blew it
By Evan Thomas
Newsweek September 19, 2005 issue

Katrina and the Blame Game

THERE IS PLENTY OF BLAME to go around in the lack of immediate local, state and federal response to the Hurricane Katrina crisis. President Bush has accepted responsibility for federal failures. However, his well-known enemies continue to target him without holding the Louisiana governor or New Orleans mayor's feet to the fire.

Clearly, the Katrina disaster has been reduced to mindless, hateful politics beyond reason and common sense, deepening social, political and economic divisions that are dangerous to our national health and security. Maybe the time has come for nonpartisan elections and government. Our survival may very well depend on it.

Daniel B. Jeffs
Apple Valley, Calif.

***

Below is the unedited letter sent to Newsweek on September 14, 2005:

The lack of immediate local, state and federal response to the Hurricane Katrina crisis notwithstanding, there is plenty of blame to go around. President Bush has accepted responsibility for federal failures, however, his well-known enemies continue to target him without holding Louisiana's governor or New Orleans' mayor's feet to the fires generated by the same partisan reactionaries.

Unfortunately, there are dangerous, yet painfully familiar, games being played in the process. Using a horrific natural disaster for rancorous partisan attacks by biased news media, racial antagonists, radical activists and opportunistic politicians is simply unconscionable.

Indeed, the escalating blame, shame and demonization game going on over the tragic losses and devastation caused by Katrina amounts to little more than self-serving exploitation of human suffering for political gain.

Clearly, the Katrina disaster has been reduced to mindless, hateful politics beyond reason and common sense, deepening social, political and economic divisions which is dangerous to our national health and security. Maybe the time has come for nonpartisan elections and government, and more democracy. Our survival may very well depend on it.

Washington Times
August 13, 2005

Cindy Sheehan, Bush and Iraq

The left-elite news media are not interested in Cindy Sheehan as the grieving mother of a son killed in Iraq who has been wronged by the evil Bush administration ("Vacaville speaks," Inside Politics, Nation, Wednesday). Rather, they are doing their best to lose the war in Iraq here on the home front, just as they did during the Vietnam War, turning every victory into a defeat. Why else would the media emphasize the victimization of our dead soldiers?

What's even more unconscionable is that the media fails to recognize our fallen troops as heroes who liberated Iraq, fought terrorists and defended freedom and their country. Even though Cindy Sheehan has chosen to dishonor her son in favor of anti-Bush activities, 24-year-old Army Spc. Casey Sheehan is a hero for volunteering to be part of a quick response team to a riot in Baghdad. He was killed in a firefight outside Baghdad.

Only a few media accounts note that, according to his sister Carly, Spc. Sheehan was an Eagle Scout who wanted to serve God and his country his whole life. Spc. Sheehan was also active in the Catholic Church. "He would do anything for anybody. He'd give you the shirt off his back," Carly said.

It is simply sickening to read and hear about antiwar, anti-Bush, anti-American organizations, activists and the media using a willing Cindy Sheehan as a poster woman for such a shabby, partisan political cause. Winning back the White House and the Congress at any cost is simply unconscionable, if not treasonous. Particularly in these perilous times.

Daniel B. Jeffs, Founder,
The Direct Democracy Center
Apple Valley, Calif.

Newsweek Magazine
(Lead letter by DDC Founder)

The Legacy of a Historic Supreme Court Justice

Before the ink dried on Sandra Day O'Connor's resignation, political adversaries fired the first shots of what will undoubtedly be an unprecedented, uncivilized war over President Bush's nominee to replace her ("O'Connor's Odyssey," July 11). The troubling conclusion is that the court is too powerful.

We should remember that Thomas Jefferson was deeply concerned that the federal judiciary would usurp power from the states, consolidate all government power in Washington and "become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated." Unfortunately, Jefferson's fears are becoming prophetic.

Most disturbing is that the three branches of our government have all but abdicated their constitutional responsibilities to political extremes and the seduction of personal power. Our government was never intended to be exclusive to the few.

Daniel B. Jeffs, Founder,
The Direct Democracy Center
Apple Valley, Calif.

The Washington Times
July 7, 2005

How to help Africa

Rock concerts and President Bush's proposed $1.2 billion plan to fight malaria in Africa over the next five years are almost meaningless, not because the money is sure to be misspent, but because there has been, is and will be only one way to really combat and control the mosquito-borne killer: with DDT ("Live 8 concerts rock the globe for Africa," Page 1, Sunday).

How much more death and disease must Africa and other malaria-plagued areas endure from the decades-old environmental crusade against DDT and other pesticides?
Malaria was nearly under control as a result of widespread spraying of DDT in a worldwide anti-malaria campaign until the cancer-scare reactionary anti-DDT and anti-pesticide campaign effectively halted the use of DDT. Since the use of DDT began more than 60 years ago, an abundance of scientific evidence has been accumulated that has shown no ill effects from human contact with DDT.

Yet the arrogance and irresponsibility of environmental zealots plus inept government have prevailed at a cost of more than 30 million lives since the 1972 ban on DDT was imposed in the United States and quickly spread throughout the world.

Indeed, must we wait until other mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile virus reach epidemic levels in America before the intelligent use of DDT is restored?

Adding insult to death and injury, environmental extremists have caused the ban of the most effective insecticides, such as chlordane, which was the best control for termites, ants and other crawling pests. Then lindane, which controlled tree borers. Then diazinon, which acted like chlordane but was much weaker. As a result, we have to endure invasions of relentless pests such as termites and Argentina ants and the loss of many trees.

Daniel B. Jeffs, Founder,
The Direct Democracy Center
Apple Valley, Calif.

The Washington Times
July 1, 2005

The President's Speech
(On Iraq July 28, 2005)

In his address to the nation, President Bush gave a thorough and informative explanation about our purpose in Iraq and what is being accomplished. Being presidential and a man of integrity, he did not say why the American people seem to be losing faith in his efforts to protect our country.

The reason the majority of Americans do not approve of Mr. Bush's performance in the conflict in Iraq is because of the news media's relentless bias and negative reporting, minimizing foreign terrorists' role and maximizing the role of insurgents and the concerted effort to demoralize the military, their families and our civilian population.

Add to the equation the overall demonization of Mr. Bush and Republicans by Democrats and the successful efforts to discourage military recruitment and then the true motives are revealed: ugly political campaigns to take back the presidency and the Congress in the 2006 and 2008 elections at any cost. That is unconscionable in these perilous times and something I will not forget when choosing news sources and when voting.

Daniel B. Jeffs, Founder,
The Direct Democracy Center
Apple Valley, Calif.

San Diego Union-Tribune
June 10, 2005

'Deep Throat': heroic or not?
W. Mark Felt is no hero.

Richard M. Nixon's abuse of power notwithstanding, he and his administration were no exception to a long history of presidential abuse of power, up to and including William Jefferson Clinton.

Assumed or denied power corrupts, or at least makes people do stupid things. Felt, or "Deep Throat," was little more than a disgruntled employee who didn't get the FBI director's job he thought was his after the death of J. Edgar Hoover. So, in his mentor's style, he authorized illegal searches of people's homes and surreptitiously took down a president.

Felt is certainly a hero to anti-establishment revolutionaries, anti-Vietnam War radicals and the media revitalized by Watergate. However, he did not earn the status of a national hero. That title belongs exclusively to the men and women of the military who defend our freedom.

Daniel B. Jeffs, Founder,
The Direct Democracy Center
Apple Valley, Calif.

Washington Times
May 19, 2005

Newsweek's blunders send troubling message

Although it was highly disturbing to read and hear about Newsweek's blunder reporting a Koran was flushed down a toilet at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which caused unnecessary riots and deaths in Afghanistan and other Muslim countries, it comes as no surprise ("Newsweek apologizes for Koran article," Nation, Monday).

Newsweek not only got it wrong, but it poured salt in the wounds when its entertainment critic followed up by declaring a link between the Bush administration and the "dark side" in the new "Star Wars" movie.

It is becoming painfully clear that America's so-called mainstream news media have been recklessly advancing an anti-Bush political agenda with relentless negative reporting about the conflict in Iraq - demoralizing our people, our military and their families, hurting military recruitment, and inflaming non-Iraqi terrorists to cross the border. This has undoubtedly caused additional deaths of our soldiers and innocent Iraqi civilians, and increased the threat to our national security.

Daniel B. Jeffs, Founder,
The Direct Democracy Center
Apple Valley, Calif.

USA TODAY
May 18, 2005 Page 10A
(Lead letter of four letters - other letters included)

Eschew (avoid, shun) filibuster - and partisan politics

Many voters are undoubtedly fed up with the ravage-politics of the two-party system. Amid all the vitriol slung by partisan zealots over the filibuster and confirmation of judicial nominees, it has become abundantly clear that the "tyranny of the majority" is nonsense and the "tyranny of the minority" is painfully real ("Qualified conservatives or judicial fanatics?" Our view; "It's time for up-or-down vote," Opposing view, Court nominees debate, Monday).

The Constitution does not extend the Senate's "advice and consent" role for presidential nominees and appointments beyond a simple majority vote. Surely advice and consent were never intended to be extended to the supermajority vote required for treaties, as willful senators would like.

Simply put, the filibuster is hardly an appropriate method for the most deliberative body of the Congress to use, particularly with its checkered history of political machinations, chicanery and self-serving interests against proposed legislation and judicial nominees.

It's time for the Senate and the rest of government to concentrate on what's best for America, particularly in these perilous times, rather than focusing on selfish interests, intimidation and gaining political advantage at any cost.

In addition to dispensing with the obstructionism of the filibuster, maybe it's time to replace the hopelessly contentious two-party system with the common sense of non-partisan elections and government, and the collective judgment of the voters. Contrary to elitist belief, we are not stupid.

Daniel B. Jeffs, Founder,
The Direct Democracy Center
Apple Valley, Calif.